Your data controller is UK Power Networks (Operations) Limited which may be contacted at DPO@ukpowernetworks.co.uk.

Our nominated Data Protection Officer is Nick Zentner.

The Data Protection Officer (the “DPO”) is responsible for monitoring our compliance with the GDPR, for informing and advising our business of its obligations in relation to the processing of personal data. The DPO is the point of contact with the ICO, the UK’s data protection supervisory authority, and is the person to whom you should direct any enquiries.

Nick can be contacted at DPO@ukpowernetworks.co.uk.

UK Power Networks processes the personal data held about you in the following ways:

Each heading includes what we use your personal data for, and our reasons / legal justifications for using personal data in this way

To help us distribute electricity to you

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To manage your application for a connection of your premises to our electrical distribution network and, once made, to manage the continuation of that connection

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To manage applications for an enhanced capacity of supply or any change to your existing connection

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To manage applications for disconnection from our electrical distribution network

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To respond to interruptions in the electricity supply to premises that you occupy

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties
To protect your/a third party’s vital interests

To provide you with updates and alerts, such as the estimated time for the restoration of your electricity supply following an interruption in supply (For example, in the event of a power cut due to bad weather.)

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To advise you in advance of planned interruptions to your electrical supply (For example, when we need to perform maintenance relating to our cables.)

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To monitor our work and maintain our records

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To administer and improve our website and other communications with you

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To enable compliance with statutory and legal obligations

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you

To detect, investigate and prevent fraud and other criminal offences

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties
To protect your/a third party’s vital interests

To respond to any complaint that you might make

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To contact you in an emergency

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties
To protect your/a third party’s vital interests

To answer general enquiries that you may make

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To conduct market research as required to do so by regulatory bodies such as Ofgem and to improve the service that we provide you

To enable us to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject
To perform a task carried out in the public interest
To allow us to enter into or perform our contract with you
To pursue legitimate interests of our own or those of third parties

To fulfil our statutory obligation to provide and maintain our customers with a supply of electricity, it may be necessary for UK Power Networks to share your personal data with others, including:

other entities in the UK Power Network group of companies
your chosen electricity supplier
our third party business partners, suppliers, and subcontractors, and any of the third parties listed above which also provide us personal data
other providers of essential services, such as gas transporters or water companies, local authorities and the emergency services
analytics providers that assist us with improvement of our website
credit reference agencies and other companies and organisations for the purpose of fraud prevention and credit risk reduction
government agencies and independent regulatory bodies
and as might be required by law, including compliance with any court order or legal obligation.

UK Power Networks may be required to share personal data with emergency services organisations for purposes associated with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.

To conduct market research to improve the service we provide, it may be necessary for UK Power Networks to share your personal data with third party market research providers but only to the extent they need it to carry out their specific task.

In the event that UK Power Networks (or substantially all of its assets) were to be acquired by or merged with a third party, the personal data held by us about our customers would be included amongst the assets transferred or shared. If we were to sell or buy any business or assets, we may disclose personal data held by us to the prospective seller or buyer under strict confidentiality terms.

When entering into any agreements that involve the sharing or disclosure of personal data, UK Power Networks requires that these third parties comply with our data protection and information security policies or have substantially similar policies of their own in place.

Until you no longer want your premises connected;
To connect your premises to one of our electricity distribution systems: 12 years from its energisation;
Wayleaves and easements: until the electric lines and/or electrical plant to which they relate are removed;
If you are on our Priority Services Register: until you or your energy supplier tell us that you no longer wish to be on that register;
Data received from your supplier to allow us to tell you about an interruption in the supply of electricity: until your supplier provides us with more recent data for those premises;
Questions that you ask about our service, for example the occurrence of a fault and its repair: until the connection is no longer required;
Where we have not mentioned a period, the criteria by reference to which we will determine our retention will be whether the data will help us perform our legal obligation to distribute electricity, whether to you or others.

Yes, at any time. If you do so and we do not process your personal data for any other lawful reason, we won’t be able to deal with the matter which required you to give us your consent.

The provision of your personal data is a legal requirement to allow us to distribute electricity to you: without your personal data it may be difficult or impossible for us to perform all of our legal obligations to you, which could affect your ability to receive electricity. So, for example, if you refuse to provide us with your name, address and contact details in an application for a connection to one of the electricity distribution systems that we operate, it will not be possible to provide that connection.

Another example: If you or someone in your household has a disability or wider vulnerability and remove yourself from our Priority Services Register, we would be unable to help you when your supply of electricity is interrupted. It is for you to decide whether having electricity/receiving assistance is important to you.

No we do not.

No we will not.

You can:

object to the processing of your personal data;
request access to and rectification of your personal data;
request erasure of your personal data (in certain circumstances);
ask for your data to be transferred.

To discuss these matters further, please contact us by emailing DPO@ukpowernetworks.co.uk.

Yes. If you are unhappy with the way in which you think UK Power Networks has dealt with your personal data, please contact our Data Protection Officer by emailing DPO@ukpowernetworks.co.uk to give them the opportunity of trying to put matters right for you.

Data FAQ's

Answers to the top frequently asked questions